The latest adaptation of Agatha Christie's The ABC Murders has found its man -- its leading man that is, and not its clever criminal. Hollywood great John Malkovich has signed on to star as the brilliant detective Hercule Poirot in the new three-part miniseries adaptation for Amazon and the BBC. Audiences previously saw the Poirot character in last year's Murder on the Orient Express remake, where Kenneth Branagh played the role with the bushiest mustache known to man, and we're hoping Malkovich gets an equally impressive one.
Long before Magnum P.I. came along, Hercule Poirot was sporting the famous facial hair as his signature. And we'll likely get to see some whisker-twirling for The ABC Murders, in which Poirot will be tasked with tracking down a serial killer whose reign of terror has 1930s Britain on edge. All Poirot has to go on is the clue that gives the murderer its name: The ABC Railway Guide left behind at the murder scene as a calling card.
No need to grab your magnifying glass, we have more details about the John Malkovich-led adaptation. Per Variety, filming on the miniseries will begin this June, and John Malkovich will be joined by Harry Potter star Rupert Grint, who will play the role of Inspector Crome. In the novel, Crome is not a big believer in Poirot's skills as a detective, which should lead to some interesting moments between the two actors.
Rounding out the cast of The ABC Murders is White Queen standout Freya Mavor and Game of Thrones' actress Tara Fitzgerald. Viewers can also expect to see Andrew Buchan, Eamon Farren, and Bronwyn James throughout. No one else had better think about showing up with a fancy mustache, though.
Producing the adaptation for the BBC is Mammoth Screen, which is the same company behind the popular costume dramas Poldark and Victoria. Fans of those series, as well as Mammoth Screen's previous adaptations, have reason to be excited about this latest installment in a string of Agatha Christie projects. The ABC Murders is the next of the storied author's novels to be adapted, while the previous one was Ordeal by Innocence, which aired earlier this year in Britain.
John Malkovich joins a long list of storied actors who have taken on the role of Poirot, and it will be interesting to see what he brings to it. A chameleon who has taken on feasibly every conceivable kind of role out there, Malkovich has the flair to make it a memorable outing, and with Rupert Grint to play off of, this is setting up to be something really exciting. The Amazon/BBC adaptation marks the second time the small screen has taken on The ABC Murders. In 1992, the mystery novel was tackled for Agatha Christie's Poirot, starring David Suchet.
There is no word on a release date for the miniseries or a size ratio for Poirot's upcoming 'stache, but The ABC Murders will air on the BBC in the UK and stream on Amazon in the U.S. Wondering what else is set to arrive on Amazon Prime? We have your answer. Check out CinemaBlend's guide to learn when new and returning shows are set to premiere on Amazon Prime. If you are curious about Netflix, we have you covered there too with the streamer's 2018 premiere rundown.
